Ball-cage.



E. C. GOODWIN & E. D. HOUSE'.

BALL GAGE.

APPLICATION P1LED'NOV-5, 1910 Patented Jan. 10, 1911.l

TINTTETI ETATEYS PATENT FFTQE.

EDWARD C. GOODWIN AND EDWARD D. HOUSE, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNORS TO THE HART & COOLEY COMPANY, OF

A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT,

BALL-CAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Ilatented Jan.. TO, 1911.

Application filed November .5, 1910. Serial No.. 590,808.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, IDwAnD C. GooDwiN and EDWARD D.y House, citizens ofthe United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBall-Cages, of which thefol lowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Our invention relates to improvements in annular' ball cages for ballbearings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation oi a ball bearing complete, showing thecage in place. Fig. 2 is an inside view'of one part of the ballcagebeforeassembling. Fig. 3 is an edge elevation of the two parts ofthe ball cage placed 'together in the final position, but not a's yetsecured together. Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line :r-r of Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line y-y of Fig. l. Fig. 6 illustratesa modification.

1 and 2 represent the two bearing rings of a ball bearing` of' ordinaryconstruction, so

' well. understood as to require no detailed description, it beingsuflicient .to merely state that both rings, 1 and 2, are provided withthe usual oppositely arranged ball raceway grooves in which are locatedballs 3-3 Our improved cage is so' constructed that a maximum number ofballsv may be provided and yet said cage will operate to ett'ecti vel yhold all of the balls slightly apart so that there wlll be no rubbingcontact ot one ball against another. The cage is made up of tworing-plates 4-5, preferably struck up from sheet-metal, both ot saidplates, preferably, being recessed to form shallowball-receiving-pockets, as shown, said recesses so conforming to theballs` that the walls or' said recesses alone will prevent the balls,when the bearing is assembled, from movingv toward and away from oneanother to any material extent.

ta-5 are clenching-tingers formed on the outer edge of each of theplates and projecting laterally therefrom. I PL-5b are what I will term.spacei'fingers or extensions, also preferably formed on the outer edgeof each of the plates 4 and 5 respectively, said spacer-fingers being ofsuch length that when the two parts, L.L -5, are placed together withthe balls between -tively,

the bearing and thereby prevent any undue clamping of the plates uponthe balls, whereby all or' the balls will turn with a uniform degree offreedom. IYhen the plates 1-5 have been assembled upon the balls, itwill be noticed that the fingers. '4a-5a will alternately lap over theopposite plate from that on which said fingers areformed respecwhereuponthe overlapping ends of said fingers are curled down upon said plates tosecurely and permanently unite the two parts, #1-5, of the cage. In abearing such as illustrated in the drawings, the balls would first beinserted between the rings, 1 2, after which the two parts, orringplates, of the cage would be applied and united.

'It is obvious that any fingers may be in practice, we have found thatthree or four on each plate was sufiicient for the purposes described.

It will be noted that in striking up the plates 4.-5 and in forming theball-receiving-recesses therein, the-metal of each plate is driven back,whereby, the spaces between the driven back portions may be 4utilizedfor the reception of the curled ends of the clamping fingers, the widthof each finger being preferably such that the opposite side edges ofsaid fingers will rest against the two adjacent struck-back portions ofthe plate embraced thereby so that there can slip of one ring-plate onthe` other, Should enough clamping-fingers be employed to oecupy everyspace between the balls, an equivalent of the separate spacer-fingerslb-'b could be employed desired number of by providing spacingshouldersic-5 adjacent to the base of each finger LJCL-5a (see Fig. 3), it beinghighly desirable to provide proper spacing means for the plates L1-5 inall instances. In the drawings we have shown a clamping-ngers than thenumber of spaces between.the balls, and in such instances, of course,such spaces could be occupied by the aforesaid spacer-fingers L1"-45".Variations of this sort are obviously contemplated as being within thescope of this invention. By forming the fingers on the outer side ofeach. ring, fingers of greater width, and therefore greater strength,can be providedr than by fingers formed formed upon each plate, but

be no lesser number of at the inner edges A of said plates. It Ishould,therefore, .be understood that this arrangement also is much to bepreferred. v

In Fig. 6 We have shown a slight modication in which 4 represents one ofthe'side plates similar to the side plates 4-5 with the exception thatin this case notches ltare provided to receive the clamping tongues.

It is obvious that the ball receiving spaces in the plates 4 5 may beformed in a variety of ways, being preferred, however, that saidrecesses be formed by striking back the metal as shown. v Said cups, orrecesses, might, however, be formed by providinground perforations inthe plates arranged'to permit portions only of the balls to standtherein, such a modification being too obvious to require either furtherdescription or special Inodication.

What we claim is:

l. An annular ball cage, comprising, two

lring plates having cupped recesses arranged to partiall' embrace balls,means formed integrally w1th one of said plates and arranged to engageand retain the other plate in cooperative relation thereto. A

2. ln an annular ball cage, two ring plates, both of said plates havingoppositely arranged ball receiving recesses, each recess being arrangedto partially embrace a ball, and a laterally extending linger formed on'one plate arranged to partially encircle the other plate to hold bothplates in cooperative relation. p

3. In an'annular ball cage, two ring plates having oppositely arrangedrecesses therein, each recess being arranged to partially embrace aball, an integral ring en aging device on each plate, each of saiddevices engaging the oppositeI plate from that on which said device isformed to hold both of the plates'in cooperative relation.

' 4;. In an annular ball cage, two ring-like plates, both. plateshavingball receiving recesses therein, a plurality of fingers on theouter edge of each plate, the fingers on each plate bein bent to engagethe opposite plate whereby a l of saidlngers coperate to hold saidplates in operative relation to each other.

5. In an annular ball cage, two ring plates, one of said plates at leasthaving ball receiving recesses therein, integrally formed and laterallyoffset. spacer fingers at the outer ed e of said. ball cage to properlyspace sai plates, and means to clamp said ring plates .together incooperative relation.

6. An annular ball cage, comprising, two ring plates having cuppedrecesses arranged to partially embrace balls, means formedintegrallywith one of said plates and -arranged to engage and retain theother plate in coperative relation thereto, and spacer I'neans to holdsaid plates in vthe yproper spaced relation. j

' EDWARD G. GOODl/VIN.

EDWARD D. HOUSE.

Witnesses:-

W. E. DOANE, J. D. POWERS.

